Kashmir set to witness Unrest-II

Zorawar Singh
Jammu Tawi, April 10:While the winter capital is gearing up to say ‘bye bye’ to the government offices by months ending but the Valley is all set to welcome them with Unrest-II as yet another ‘hot’ summer is predicted by the Kashmir experts after the Darbar Move. The Kashmir Unrest, which claimed around 100 lives and left thousands injured, is ‘still alive’ and 2017 is likely to witness hot summer with separatists issuing fresh calendar of ‘hartaals’.
“Nerves have not cooled down and the Valley is gearing up for Kashmir Unrest-II once Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti led government shifts to the Summer Capital in April ending,” sources said.
After the killing of self styled Hizbul Commander Burhan Wani, around 100 youth have joined the terrorist outfits and they reportedly are being in make to disrupt peace and normalcy after Darbar Move, sources added.
“Burhan’s killing was only an excuse as in the past too, many hardcore terrorists including the top commanders were gunned down by the security forces but Kashmir never witnessed long ever turmoil with people taking part in large,” sources said.
Intelligence sources said that people in the Kashmir Valley, who never had even thought of their favourite party PDP, joining hands with the BJP, have resentment for an alliance, which they term as ‘unholy’.
“Burhan’s killing added fuel to fire and anger against PDP’s alliance with the Saffron Party, ultimately took to streets in the Valley in the shape of unrest and violence around,” they said.
“The Separatists have reportedly chalked down closed door strategies to bring unrest back on streets and misled young minds for their personal gains,” sources added. They said that it was not Burhan’s killing but PDP-BJP alliance in the form of anger, broke out in Kashmir and will prevail till this alliance exists. “Though people of Jammu also have resentment against BJP for joining hands with PDP but it did not took the shape of violence as it happened in Kashmir,” they maintained.
Meanwhile security forces including state police, para-military forces and the Army has to tighten their belts ahead of Darbar move to the Kashmir valley.
Due to five-month long Kashmir unrest last year, state suffered losses to the tune of over Rs 16,000 crore due to complete halt of economic activity coupled with loss of property worth crores of rupees. As per Economic Survey report tabled in the Assembly session, losses caused due to the unrest from July 8 to November 30, 2016 are estimated at more than Rs 16,000 crore.
It said that the civil strife caused tremendous miseries, loss of life, complete halt of economic activity in the Valley coupled with loss of property worth crores of rupees.
However, official figures said that the number of tourists who visited the Valley in 2015-16 stood at 6,23,932 including 2,20,490 Amarnath yatris.
“10,059 tourists visited the Valley between August 1 to 12, against 89,243 tourists during the corresponding period a year earlier. From August the number has fallen drastically,” an official said adding that the tourist season had last year started in April and was in full swing up to July 7
As the tourist arrivals to Kashmir have trickled down drastically in the wake of unrest, the local tourism industry is believed to have suffered a massive Rs 4,000 crore loss.
The disappearance of tourists during peak months resulted in loss of business to hoteliers, restaurants, houseboats, handicrafts, poniwallas, transporters, shikara walla and the revenue loss in the second quarter of 2016-17 was of Rs 751.97 lakh (80 per cent) compared to revenue realization of Rs 936.89 lakh in Q2 of 2015-16.